Incumbent school board President Phil Kim secured reelection in the San Francisco Unified School District (SFUSD) race, leading the three‑seat contest as of the 8:45 p.m. vote count. Fellow GrowSF‑backed candidates Autumn Brown Garibay and Tim Tung followed in second and third place, respectively.
Election night celebration
When the early results were released, Kim was at the first stop of his election‑night gathering at Parasol in the Castro. Board commissioner Parag Gupta approached him with a congratulatory remark, and Kim celebrated by sharing a kiss with his partner, Andrew. Shortly thereafter, the board race was officially called in Kim’s favor.
Endorsements and slates
The three winners were part of the GrowSF slate, which positions itself as a counterweight to the progressive teachers union UESF. GrowSF’s endorsements included Kim, Garibay – a senior customer‑success manager – and Tung, a public‑finance analyst. Mayor Daniel Lurie also endorsed Kim, while Garibay and Tung received backing from moderate allies on the Board of Supervisors.
SF Parents Action, the advocacy arm of the SF Parent Coalition, aligned with GrowSF on Kim and Garibay but chose to support Alida Fisher over Tung. The progressive teachers union UESF, which describes the race as “teachers vs. billionaires,” fielded Ryan Hazleton, Reina Tello, and Virginia Cheung, each receiving endorsements from progressive supervisors and labor groups.
Key issues: enrollment and finances
The election unfolded amid controversy over a district‑wide overhaul of the lottery enrollment system. The new model shifts from a citywide lottery to a neighborhood‑school framework, limiting choice to citywide programs such as language immersion and K‑8 schools. Kim voted with a 5‑2 majority to adopt the change, diverging from the SF Parents Coalition, which favored broader parental options.
Financial stewardship was another focal point. Since his 2024 appointment by Mayor London Breed, Kim has emphasized a balanced budget and guided the district toward a positive state certification of financial health. The GrowSF candidates warned against tapping district reserves for anything beyond one‑time expenses, while UESF advocated using reserves to fund language‑program teachers and transitional kindergarten.
Campaign spending
According to disclosed figures, the teachers union spent $135,000 on its slate, supplemented by $72,000 from labor organizations. GrowSF contributed $242,000 to the Kim‑Garibay‑Tung slate, with Tung receiving the largest share at $139,000. SF Parents Action spent $62,800 supporting Kim, Garibay, and Alida Fisher.
Kim’s own third‑party spending dropped sharply from the June primary, receiving $33,800 this cycle compared with $238,800 in June. Garibay attracted $114,000, placing her second in third‑party contributions.
Results snapshot
When the first round of results was posted, incumbent Alida Fisher was seventh out of eight candidates with 7.3 % of the vote. Garibay, meanwhile, reported a 15.75 % share of the counted votes, expressing relief after a hard‑fought campaign. Kim’s victory solidifies GrowSF’s influence on the board and signals continued support for fiscal responsibility and the new enrollment model.
Reporting by Adriana Gutierrez.
Original reporting: Mission Local — read the source article.
